Analyze and evaluate conditions, actions, and motivations that contribute to conflict and cooperation.

In this lesson, we have thus far established that human beings are fundamentally political and that civic dialogue and participation are critical foundations of democratic government. Throughout this discussion, however, you might have been wondering if an ideal democracy is also free from disagreement or conflict. While utopians have dreamed of a political society in which every individual agreed and worked cooperatively to produce the common good, such an ideal is neither practical or realistic in a world full of diverse, self-interested individuals and groups. As Madison argued in Federalist No. 10, “giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests” would be “impracticable” because “as long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed.”

History is replete with episodes of political, social, and economic conflict. Even the American political system has seen its share of discord, violence, and even civil war. What are the conditions of cooperation and peace? What kinds of actions and motives lead to conflict and violence? A bit of philosophy and a review of a few key events in American political history can help us answer these questions. But first, let’s explore where we get the political values and beliefs we bring with us to political debates. Understanding why we think what we do and, just as importantly, why others think what they do, can be critically important to how we conduct ourselves in political dialogue, whether cooperative or conflictual.